SPATA, Greece (AP) — At first sight, Tiembe research his frozen breakfast with hesitation: Chunks of purple meat and bone packed in a foot-long block of ice.

The 15-year-old Angolan lion finally licks the ice earlier than gnawing items of meat-free.

Animals on the Attica Zoological Park exterior the Greek capital have been being fed frozen meals Friday as temperatures across the nation reached 40 C (107.5 F) and have been set to rise additional, within the fourth warmth wave in lower than a month.

The excessive temperatures and wildfires - a rising concern for biodiversity in southern Europe - have had an influence on Greek wildlife.

A hearth on the island of Rhodes burned for 11 successive days, triggering the evacuation of 20,000 folks, largely vacationers.

The island’s animals have been much less lucky.

As the hearth tore by way of mountain forests and a nature reserve, an estimated 2,500 animals and beehives have been burned, together with 50,000 olive bushes, based on Agriculture Ministry officers. Fallow deer, a logo of Rhodes, have been discovered mendacity lifeless on the roadside.

The zoo, which is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) east of Athens, is taking care of an injured deer and several other turtles - some fitted with wheels prized from toys to assist with their mobility - which suffered burns and different accidents in the course of the Rhodes fireplace.

Zoo curator Antonis Balas urged pet house owners to be extra conscious of their animals at instances of maximum warmth, noting that most of the standard breeds of pets are from native cooler climates in Northern and Central Europe.

“In general, heat affects animals in the same way that it affects humans,” Balas mentioned, after feeding fruit popsicles to ring-tailed lemurs, some clambering onto his shoulders to get served first.

“The iced treats are a complement to their meals … they lick the ice and breathe within the cool air. That’s in distinction to individuals who sweat as a means of controlling their physique temperature.

Ten main wildfires struck Greece in July, and included main blazes exterior Athens. More than 450 pet canine and cats have been rescued from fires, many left of their houses because the house owners fled, based on a charity that works with a state animal company. About half have been reunited with their house owners, the others positioned in short-term adoption.

In the wake of the Greek fires, the worldwide animal charity PETA urged animal house owners to not abandon their pets.

Elisa Allen, the group’s vp for packages, mentioned the fires additionally served as a reminder that the animal farming business is a serious international contributor to local weather change.

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire and in this case, no one should ignore how animal agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions fuel the climate catastrophe and create the conditions that let wildfires spread,” Allen instructed The Associated Press.

Temperatures are anticipated to achieve 42 C (107.6 F) in elements of central Greece on Saturday earlier than easing early subsequent week.

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